Easton Area School District honors March Elementary School teacher

Express-Times Photo | SUE BEYERKevin Soffera presents Marla Kinney with flowers and a sash at a ceremony Friday at March Elementary in Easton. She was named Easton Area School District Teacher of the Year for 2011-12. Soffera is the father of a second grader and was performing in a band for a school assembly.

When Marla Kinney won Easton Area School District's Teacher of the Month award in October, she wanted to thank whoever nominated her but was kept in the dark.

Kinney, an instructional support/ interventionist at the Easton school was named the school district’s 2011-12 Teacher of the Year. She will receive a plaque and $500 award this week.

The anonymous October nomination says Kinney “is a substitute for the after-school program, (she) stays after school to create plans and lessons and (she’s) one of the first people in the building every day.”

“Mrs. Kinney touches the hearts of all students,” the nomination says. “…In addition, she serves as a role model for the staff.”

COURTESY PHOTOMarla Kinney

Kinney learned she won last week when a rotary club member came to March Elementary School and Principal Judith Steinberg called Kinney to her office.

“It was a complete shock because I know the field of people that were also named teacher of the month that just bring so many gifts to the area of teaching,” she said. “It was very surprising that I stood apart from all of them.”

Kinney’s parents, husband and daughter were all extremely proud, she said.

One key to being an outstanding teacher is “building a relationship of trust” with students, she said.

“And with that trust you’ll help them learn to be successful,” she said. “And in the end, you want children to be life-long learners.”

Joan Baldwin, reading interventionist at March, said Kinney is a teachers' favorite because she is kind, knowledgeable and “has a really good management style with students and adults.” Baldwin’s worked with Kinney for the past six years.

“If there’s such a person to aspire to, it would be Marla Kinney,” Baldwin said. “She’s a great teacher and a great person.”

Staff and students surprised Kinney on Friday morning with roses and a tiara.

“(We had to) surprise her because she would never agree to anything like this,” Baldwin joked.

“I think she is an excellent, excellent candidate and she emulates everything that a teacher should strive to be,” Brodhead said. “She’s an awesome person.”

Kinney still wonders who nominated her and is still letting the recognition sink in. Though the 58-year-old began teaching in 1976, Kinney said she never thought she’d win an award for it.

But whoever nominated her thought she deserved some recognition.

“That person just kept watching along the way and found something they wanted to share,” Kinney said.

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THE WINNER:

Marla Kinney

Years in the Easton Area School District: 31

Type of teacher: instructional support/interventionist; she previously taught kindergarten and first grade.

Best part of the job:

"The best part of teaching is supporting students in their journey to become successful learners and good citizens in a community," Kinney said. "It is so rewarding to be a special part of a child's learning process. I take great pride in cheerleading our students to show their best work at all time and being right there to celebrate with them when they achieve their goals and accomplishments."

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THE SELECTION PROCESS:

The Easton Area Education Association council each month votes on a teacher that was anonymously nominated.

The Rotary Club of Easton sponsors the Easton Area School District award.

The nine Teacher of the Month recipients were interviewed, and three finalists were selected.

The final three had to submit an essay and answer list of questions.

A panel of rotary judges and a school member then selected the Teacher of the Year